A Safe Haven
by CasaNova73099
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Angela Roth was a troubled soul looking for a sign that her life was actually worth something. Will a new home and friends help lead her down the path of redemption or to the point of no return? Rated T for safety...
1. Chapter 1

**I'm so, SO sorry for the unusually long hiatus, dear readers. Between completing Raven: SOML and a horde of other projects, I've been neglecting my second fic, but now it has finally been completed and some parts of the story have also been reworked. This story is relatively short next to Raven: Soundtrack Of My Life', since it is more like a midquel to the former, and the events here would chronologically fall in between Chapters 2 and 3 of Raven: SOML.**

**I hope you enjoy this one and as usual, that you also read and review... **

**Chapter 1**

"_She seemed pleasant enough really. A devout and revered woman of the cloth, one who went beyond the call of duty to take in a person that not only had she met for the first time just an hour ago, but someone who by many in her society seemed to be invisible…unimportant…unloved…"_

"And this here is our humble little abode," voiced a woman cheerfully. She was a beautiful young woman – perhaps in her late twenties or early thirties. She was also very humble in her appearance what with her red hair tied into a neat ponytail that draped down her back and the scarlet gown with golden embroidery she adorned. Her companion - a teenaged girl with long black hair and solemn icy blue eyes - looked around in wonder at her surroundings. The walls were made of a ruddy stone and their barren appearance gave off an ominous atmosphere despite the numerous wall and standing candelabras that brightened the corridors. The teenaged brunette then swallowed deeply.

"Are you okay, Angela?"

Angela looked up at the woman, a slight smile forming on her lips. "I'm fine, Sister Moriah. It's just that even for a monastery, this place seems…very…"

"Plain? Empty? Quiet?"

"Well I was going to say creepy, but yeah, that too."

Moriah simply chuckled. "I'll admit that at first glance, anyone from the outside world looking in may feel that things here at the Faith Through Scath Christian Tabernacle are rather strange and that this must be a drastic change from what you're accustomed to. But as for me and my 12 other brothers and sisters, we _have come to appreciate that material things and appearances are not the foremost things in life. We rather store up treasures in Heaven than here on Earth, and as long as we have the basic necessities of life our health and our faith, then all is well..."_

_Angela nods and the two continued further down the hall. _They eventually came to a stop at a door at the end of the hall and Moriah gestured towards it.

"Well this is it," said Moriah, who opened the door. "Your dorm."

Angela nodded and then entered. Inside laid two twin-sized beds, a wooden desk and chair and an armoire – all simple and modest in appearance. The room was also windowless and dimly lit – and had it not been for the candelabra seated on the desk, it would have rendered the room pitch black. Angela's eyes then fell on one of the beds since a faded pink bookbag laid at the foot of it.

"I have a roommate?"

"Indeed. About two, three weeks or so before you showed up here, another young girl with a troubled past came stumbling in through our doors. Some of my brothers and sisters were reluctant to have her stay, but…"

"You just couldn't turn your back on her…"

"Of course not! Granted she was rough …_very rough_ around the edges, and goodness knows what she's been through before she came here. But all of us are human, and none of us are perfect…"

"…Has this girl given you any reason to have regrets?"

Moriah looked over at Angela as she took a seat, her uncommonly violet eyes twinkling even in the dimly lit room. She opened her mouth to give a reply, but at that given moment the door creaked, and both Moriah and Angela's eyes _darted over towards the doorway. There, leaning along the doorway was a young woman with short brown hair and green eyes. Unlike Moriah, this woman wore a simplistic brown medieval style gown. She also looked none too thrilled to see the two sitting in what must have originally been 'her' room. _

"Ah yes," cooed Moriah, rising from her seat. "Angela, this here is Janine. Janine, this is Angela. I met her today downstairs in the chapel. She's fallen on some hard times and needs a place to stay. Therefore, you two…are going to be roommates."

Janine carefully studied the brunette reclining on the bed across from her. "Pleasure," she replied cynically and entered the room. Moriah smiled once again and began to make her way towards the door.

"Well, I'm just going to go see what I can get for you to wear and eat, and if you'd like, I can show you to the showers when I get back with your meal. Until then, just make yourself at home."

"Thank you," Angela said feebly as Moriah exited the room and pulled the door behind her. A soft but noticeable creak was briefly heard as the door closed, leaving the two young girls to exchange looks and to share in the awkward silence that soon followed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_It was your classic class of the odd couple. On one corner you had me: the girl who was mild and reclusive and in the other corner, there was the girl who was clearly quick-tempered and impulsive. Both of us were forced to leave home, and now the both of us were forced to be roommates – in a church nonetheless. Given the circumstances, you would think that being in such an environment would be an uplifting experience for us, but instead, things just seemed to be going in the opposite direction. Janine was practically throwing looks that could kill at me, and despite what I had just told Moriah, I just simply did not feel at home in this strange and unfamiliar place. And the silence that had filled the room upon Moriah's departure? It was deafening, overwhelming, and yes, even blinding... _

…_And all of this was driving me absolutely nuts…" _

Angela looked up from her journal and attempted to smile at Janine. In answer to Angela's smile, Janine's brow furrowed even deeper. Angela cleared her throat nervously and looked back down at her journal, her mind racing to collect and then act on some sane and tactful way to engage her roommate in a civil conversation. But nothing ever came to mind and the moment Angela couldn't bear the tension and silence any longer, her unlikely roommate spoke up…

"So what did _you _do?"

Ah, the direct approach. "Uh," stuttered Angela, not entirely sure what Janine was implying. "I ran away from home."

"Obviously. But _what _did you _do_? No one goes to stay in a monastery for the hell of it."

"I didn't _do_ anything wrong…" said Angela icily. "Unless you count being alive."

Janine pursed her lips at this and Angela returned the glare. She was definitely thinking that perhaps rooming with the likes of Janine wasn't such a good idea. But before she could say anything else, Janine spoke up once more...

"You too, huh? …Parents can be such monsters…"

Angela looked up at Janine.

"Monsters?"

"…Monsters," said Janine, her hardcore shell slightly giving in. She then cleared her throat and then glanced back up at Angela. "Your parents are supposed to be the people to always protect you, to have your back when things get rough. So why is it that they also screw us over…sometimes more so than the villains and sickos out there?"

Angela sighed. "When I get the answer to that one I'll let you know." Janine scoffed and then went to lie down on her bed on her back.

"True be told, I can't really blame _everything _on my parents. My dad -_ if_ he was even really my dad - was hardly ever around, so it's not like he had much input on things."

"You're saying that things would've been different if he was around?"

"Who knows? I think that he was smart to leave my mom when he did. My mom had…addiction problems to say the least. Drugs, gambling, men, you name it, chances are she was involved in it. I mean, I know it's kind of Lifetimeish to say this, but at the same time, it would've been nice to have a mom who acted like a _mom,_ you know?"

Angela in response pursed her lips. "Back when I still lived at home," she started, pulling out a photo of her and her parents. "My dad was the screw-up in my family. My mom did everything she could to keep the peace, but eventually there wasn't anything she could do or say to get through to him. My dad drank a lot, and the drinking and the fights between him and Mom only got worse after he got laid off and when my little brother died shortly after he was born."

Janine looked on sadly as Angela became choked up. "Then one night," continued Angela, in all but a hoarse whisper. "…Things got really bad. Dad was beating Mom and during the fight, she fell and hit her head…and she didn't get up. She…just…wouldn't get up. I tried to help her, but my dad just pushed me away. He took my mother and then he left me alone in the apartment. He came back hours later…by himself…and covered in blood… He insisted that he took her to the hospital and that she was alright…but he also said that she wasn't going to come back home ever again. Made up some story about how Mom had met someone else, someone who she was happier with…"

"Yeah…Jesus."

Moments later, there was a knock at the door and Moriah entered with a plate of food and a small bundle tucked under her arm. "Here you go," she said, placing the plate down onto the desk and leaving the change of clothes in the seat of the chair. "A little something to tie you over until morning. It's also pretty close to curfew so I don't know if you want to run over and take your shower now or…"

"Uh, yeah, ok," replied Angela, setting down her journal and climbing off the bed. "Thanks, Moriah."

"No problem. Good night, little sisters. Until the morrow."

Moriah then exited promptly, closing the door behind her, and Angela walked over to analyze the bundle of clothes. Folded up neatly was a long brown dress very similar to that which Janine wore, a long and simplistic nightgown, and an off-white bathrobe and towel set.

"You know the way to the showers?" asked Janine, rising to her feet and pulling down on her dress.

"I have an idea where it's at," said Angela who proceeded to scoop up the pile of clothes into her arms. She then started for the door.

"Hold on. I'll walk you."

Angela stopped and turned around to face her. "…Why?"

Janine shrugged indifferently. "What? You're a newbie. You could get lost. Besides, I kind of like you, kid, and we girls got to stick together. Stick with me, and you'll be right."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"_Well what do you know? The ice queen known as Janine had a heart after all. Guess I was wrong to just assume the worst about her. Sure she hasn't opened up much more since our talk last night, but we both obviously shared a common bond and a common goal. We wanted to heal our emotional wounds, to build up our strength, and to figure out whatever was the next move in our young but angst-filled lives…"_

"So what are some things that I should know about around here?"

Janine made no effort to hid the face that she made as the two girls walked from their dorm room and down to the mess hall. "Hoo! Where do I even begin…?"

"What do you mean? Are they really strict or something?"

"Well, obviously, there are some things that just won't fly by in here, like breaking curfew. You don't have to go to sleep by 8 o'clock, but you definitely got to be back in your dorm by the time, ol' Crowman Xavier stops parading down the halls. Trust me, that is one guy whose bad side you do not want to get on. You also must keep on your toes and be mindful of what you say and do around others.Even though this is a church, there are some folks in here that you need to watch out for. I've only been here for about three weeks but I've noticed that there's a bit of a pecking order going on here."

"Really?"

"Oh for sure. For instance, Sister Garnet had a husbandwho passed away a while ago. For several generations Garnet's husband's family has always in one way or another owned or helped maintain the church, so when he died, she and her son moved in here full time to take care of things. That would be Sebastian.Like his father, Sebastian leads the congregation here. I don't see him all that often - I guess because he's always away on important matters - but he seems… _ok_."

Angela looked at Janine, who had for but a moment turned melancholy at the mention of the abbot. _'Does she care for Brother Sebastian or is there something else that I'm not seeing?'_ The girls then entered the mess hall, and virtually everyone turned to stare at them. Janine ignored their gazes and went about getting her breakfast but Angela was clearly a little bothered by all of the sudden attention directed at her. After breaking eye contact with a two pallid and creepy males that were twins, Angela followed Janine over to the servings counter and as she waited for her turn, she took the opportunity to get a closer look at the other church members, who for the most part had resumed their conversations. One man that she spotted was rather old and frigid looking – like a vulture. He was tall and thin and had beady little brown eyes and he ate and chewed very meticulously. Seated next to the old man and at the head of the table was handsome man in his late forties with short blond hair that had just a touch of gray in it and deep blue eyes.

"Angela…"

Angela snapped out of her trance and turned around. Standing behind the counter was an older woman with graying hair and cloudy gray eyes. "It is Angela isn't it?" she asked.

"Yes, miss," replied Angela meekly and then nodded. "It's good to finally meet you," said the older woman. "I'm Sister Garnet." She then gestured towards the bowl to which she had spooned out some hominy grits. "Is this enough?"

"Uh, yes. Thanks." Angela then scooped up her serving tray and briskly made her way over to the table at the far end of the room. It was the least populated one, and aside from Janine, only one other person sat there, a skinny young woman with long straggly black hair.

"Hi," said Angela with a smile.

The young woman looked up from her plate and met Angela's eyes with a pair of blue-green ones. "Hello," she replied quietly. She had a rather heavy East-Europen accent and a slight rasp to her voice.

"I…uh…don't believe we met," said Angela who took a seat between her and Janine. "I'm Angela, and I room with Janine here."

"…Theresa Zimmer," replied the woman, blowing onto a spoonful of her breakfast. "Pleasure to meet you."

Angela nodded and turned to Janine, who wriggled her nose, and the three continued on with the rest of their breakfast in silence. After a while, Angela returned her attention back to Theresa.

_"_Is it always like this at mealtime?" she asked in a hushed voice. Theresa meanwhile looked up at her nonchalantly.

"Mealtime, study time, work time, bedtime: all's the same. Nobody likes us and they keep far away. "

_"But why is that? It just doesn't make any sense."_

Theresa looked up again to notice the sad look on Angela's face. "Well sometimes life just don't make sense, Fraulein. Look at me. My family leave Zandia because of many troubles there. We come to America and after much searching, we finally find place to belong, and just when things look good - kapow! Mother learns she has illness and Father dies from heart attack. Mother follows him less than year later. "

_"…Wow…I'm sorry to hear that."_

"So were the brothers and sisters here. We became members of this church some time after coming to the States. But it's been seven years that my parents die, and the brothers and sisters..."

Theresa sighed and Angela glanced out of the corner of her eye. She could just make out the displeased faces of two young women – one brunette and one blonde - who sniggered and whispered to one another. Angela then returned her gaze to Theresa.

"They say that I should not dwell on the past. But I have hard time letting it go, especially when the brothers and sisters are no longer as nice as they have been. Life may move on and life may not be fair, but as I say, sometimes life just don't make sense. Do you not agree?"

Angela sighed deeply and then tapped Janine inconspicuously to get her attention.

"What is the deal with the two girls that keep looking over here at us?"

Janine glanced over casually and upon turning back to Angela and Theresa, sucked her teeth in displeasure. "Now _those_ are two people that you're really have to watch your back around," murmured Janine. "The brunette's May and that's her flunky Helena. Right from the get go, those two have had it out for me and to some extent Teri here too. Thanks to them, we -although most of the time I'm the one who's singled out – have had cold water thrown on us some mornings as a wakeup call, gotten stuck with some of the worst jobs around the church and whenever there's a dispute, by default no one bothers to see whenever we're actually the ones at fault. It's like whatever May and Helena says, it just has to be true."

Angela glanced over at Theresa who nodded sadly. Janine then leaned in so that only Angela could hear her. "I know that I'm not the friendliest of people, Angela, but I don't go looking for trouble either. I've had more than enough of my share of it outside of these walls. If you're the same way as me and Teri, do like us and just keep to yourself."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_"__For the first time in so long in my life, I felt a sense of achievement and acceptance. I had finally found my place in the world and amongst my newfound family. Whether it was by assisting with the cleaning, the cooking, the sewing or my all-time favorite, helping out in the library, it felt nice to finally belong somewhere and to know that not even the littlest things that I did didn't not go unnoticed. It was quite the change from my father's harsh words and even more ruthless beatings And yet…despite all he had put me through… I could only feel pity for him. I often would wonder: did he ever feel remorse for what he did to me - for what he did to my mother? How was he doing now that he was all alone? What would eventually become of him?" _

"Hey, Angie! Quit your daydreaming and come join us."

Angela, who had unknowingly been staring up at the ceiling, awoke from her trance and turned to face Janine. She had just allowed Theresa (who in most recent times had become a part of the girls' clique) into their room and was locking the door. Theresa smiled and took a seat at the foot of Janine's bed while Janine dragged the chair from the desk closer to the beds.

"What are you two up to?" asked Angela, slipping her diary underneath her pillow.

"I convinced Theresa to play a game of truth or dare with me," grinned Janine as she turned the chair and sat in it backwards. "Come join us."

"Oh god, Jan. Are you kidding me?"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? I _hate _Truth or Dare. Back in school, I was always the brunt of pranks, and a lot of them stemmed from dares other students had to perform because they were 'dared' to do it. Besides, it's a silly game. It's childish, it's mischievous, it's…"

"It's either this or heading back out into the main area for another rousing bout of '20 questions' with the others."

Angela blinked. While it was nice that the other brothers and sisters of the church had taken a sudden interest in her as of late, it was a bit overwhelming for Angela, and to some degree even embarrassing for her to answer all of their prodding questions.

"…I'll take 'Truth or Dare' for $200, Alex."

Theresa giggled while Janine rolled her eyes. "Ok, smart aleck, just for that, I'm picking you first. Truth…or dare."

"Does it really matter? I've gotten nothing to hide and if I picked 'dare, how much troublecould we possibly get into in a place like this?"

"Leave that up to me to worry about. Now pick!"

"Alright, alright. Dare, Jan."

Janine smiled wickedly and then picked up a jar which contained some sort of mysterious liquid. "Fine then," she cackled. "Drink this."

"What on earth _is_ that?" questioned Angela.

"Relax, it's nothing poisonous."

"That doesn't ease my mind in the slightest."

"Come on, Angie. I dared you, so you have to do it."

Angela grumbled. It was a no-win situation for her but given the choice between listening to Janine's mouth or downing the 'beverage' in her hand and thus silencing her roommate, the lesser of the two evils became clear. Angela snatched the jar from and steadily gulped down its contents. Theresa's eyes widened and Janine guffawed as Angela slammed the now empty jar down and coughed.

"I can't believe you actually drank it," said Theresa in disbelief. "Well I did," shuddered Angela. "Now what on God's earth was it?"

"…Pickle brine, grounded garlic and lemon juice," snorted Janine. Angela just glared at her.

"…I hate you so much."

Theresa chuckled softly while Janine erupted into a fit of laughing. "Ok, ok," said Theresa, taking out a coin. "This will decide who goes next. Janine, call a side."

Theresa flipped the coin and Janine's laughter began to subside. "H-heads," she stuttered, gasping for air. Theresa caught the coin and studied it briefly. "Guess it is my turn," she replied and Angela repositioned herself on the bed.

"Alright then, Teri. Truth or dare."

"Truth."

"Hmm…Tell us what was the best day of your life."

Theresa pondered this for a moment and then smiled. "Believe it or not, it was the day we came to the church. You see we had just come to America and the person who had been speaking to my parents and paid our way over from Zandia never showed up. We had no idea what happened to him or how to find him. We spend many days and nights out in the streets, and because we did not know the language, it was hard finding someone that could help us."

Theresa then turned to Angela. "Then we met Moriah. Moriah once lived in Europe and knew enough of our language to understand us. She was kind enough to take us in, and the brothers and sisters treated us as if we were one of them."

Theresa's smile faltered as her thoughts evidently shifted back to the present and Angela placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Janine then perked up, knowing that it was now her turn. "Alright then," she mused. "Let's go. Do your worst! I dare you."

"Like what?" inquired Theresa as Angela thought of suggestions. "I don't know," shrugged Janine. "Snorting a line of sugar, licking the floor, making me smear PB&J on my armpits, wipe it off with bread and then eat it as a sandwich. Come on! Something extreme!"

Angela and Theresa just looked at her. "You have some serious issues," replied Angela. '

"I'm still on the "snorting a line of sugar" part," said a somewhat bemused Theresa.

"Ha, well a sugar high is better than getting high off of coke or meth."

"You did drugs?"

"Yeah, when I was younger. Remember now, the type of home I grew up in wasn't exactly child-friendly, though that was still no excuse. Between being around my mom and her 'men' and hanging out late at night with my friends when I couldn't stand being in that apartment anymore, I got introduced to the stuff. I wanted to drown out all the pain I was always feeling, but I was only bringing more upon myself."

"Jesus, Jan," replied Angela. "Do you have any other surprises up your sleeves?"

"One," she said softly. "…I'm also a mom."

The room became so quiet that you've could've heard the proverbial pin drop. "…What?" asked a perplexed Theresa.

"I'm a mom," repeated Janine. "And today is actually my daughter's first birthday."

"…And…"said Angela slowly, fishing for the right words. "…Did she…pass away?"

"No. I gave her up for adoption and even though in my mind I knew it was the right thing to do, my heart always feels guilty for basically giving her away to strangers."

Angela and Theresa looked on sadly as Janine sighed deeply once more. "You see I've always told myself that if I was ever to have kids that I would do all I could to take care of them. I didn't want them growing up living in fear, growing up feeling like their mother really didn't care about them. I would be damned if I let history repeat itself you know? That's why when I found out that I was pregnant, I started making plans. I always kept money stashed away all over the apartment – it was the only way to keep it from my mom and her numerous 'boyfriends', and on one night, I gathered up the money and snuck out of the apartment, but unlike all the other times that I did, this time I had no intentions of never coming back. I ran all the way to my boyfriend's place in hopes that I could come to live with him."

"And I'm guessing that didn't pan out?" asked Angela.

"That would be the understatement of the century. It completely blew up in my face. Shymal betrayed me in the cruelest way ever imaginable. He wanted nothing to do with me or the baby! Shymal…he was the only person that I could open up to back then. When things were dangerous at home, I always snuck out to hang out with him and his friends. The hundreds of times I considered ending it all, he kept me from following it through. I was very fearful and insecure around guys, but, he made me feel normal…he made me feel beautiful and wanted, and yet despite all of that, he turned on me. I stood outside in the pouring rain for what felt like hours, pleading and reasoning for him to not throw what we had away, but it was useless. I found myself back at Square 1 and what was worse, I was starting to show. I had no choice but to go back home and tell my mother about my condition. The next six months was like riding a rollercoaster. Getting myself clean and going through so many changes from the pregnancy was rough, but now I had to deal with my mom as well. Sometimes she was just so indifferent, it was almost like nothing had changed. Then there were times when I would practically get my ear chewed off: constantly being cursed at and called a slut and a whore for getting myself into this situation. The thing that bothered me the most however was the few instances when my mom was happy about being a grandmother."

"How can that be?" asked Theresa. "Wouldn't that mean that she was more accepting to the situation and to you?"

"Only for the sake of money. Think about it. My mother didn't exactly make an honest living, and money was always tight at home for obvious reasons. But as a single mom, she also got assistance from the government, so with another baby soon to live under her roof…"

"I think I understand now."

"Exactly, and that trick was _not _going to profit off of my daughter. Not on my watch. So while I still lived at home, I was secretly trying to look for another apartment for us to live in. But of course I had no such luck. Finding housing in Steel City was an absolute nightmare and like I said before, I refused to have my baby live under the same roof as that woman. The only other option though was the streets and that was certainly no place for a child. I was at a lost on what to do. Adoption at this point was only a backup plan, but now, it was looking more like my _only _plan. Then, it was time. I went into the hospital late one night and early the next morning, my little Gwen was born. A few hours later, the representatives from the local orphanage came to pick her up and that was the last I'd seen of her. Some think that I was coward for giving her away, but I _loved _that little girl. I loved her so much that I didn't want her to end up like I did. I wanted her to be safe, to have the chance to have parents that could offer her everything I couldn't…"

Janine grew silent once again and in an effort to keep from crying, she hugged her legs, buried her face into her thighs and began to rock back and forth in the chair. Angela and Theresa slowly approached the distraught young woman and Angela reached out towards her.

"It's ok, Janine. Me and Teri both know what it's like to be forced into growing up well before being good and ready, to be forced into making decisions or witnessing things that no teen should ever have to. We may not be blood, but in a way we're still family, and we're here for you. After all, we girls got to stick together…"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"_I knew life could be ugly, but clearly not as ugly as it appeared through the eyes of Janine. I had no idea the magnitude of what she had been through before she came to stay here. A little after she had herself a good cry, she opened up a little bit more about her past and in turn so did Theresa and I. It was so…therapeutic and liberating to talk about the things that we had kept buried within us for so long. It really isn't healthy to keep things bottled up, to keep secrets in the dark._

_Unfortunately for the three of us, there were others who eagerly sought to work under the cover of secrecy. Elsewhere within the bowels of the church, several brothers and sisters were having a clandestine meeting with some seriously evil intentions…" _

"And what news do you have for me this evening?"

Standing before a thin vulture-like looking man in a dark chamber were the two twins Angela had seen earlier in the mess hall. Their heads had been bowed and they simultaneously lifted them upon being prompted to speak.

"The preparations for our Master's homecoming are going as planned, Brother Xavier," started the first twin. "All…"

"…is well," finished his brother. "We were even able to find a most suitable consort for our Lord."

The news was enough to pull Xavier's nose from the dusty tome he had been studying fervently. "And who – dare I ask – is the 'lucky' woman?" he inquired.

"It is the girl we most recently took in, Brother Xavier…"

"…Angela Roth."

"Ah, yes. Ms. Roth. She does seem to be a breath of fresh air here amongst us. Very warm and congenial – which is surprising since I can sense that before she had a rather difficult life to live before coming to stay here with us. She would be perfect for our Master."

"There is however, a cause for concern, my brother."

"Angela both rooms and spends a considerable amount of time with…"

"…Janine Diaz," sighed Xavier. "Yes, I've noticed that, and I must say that it won't bode well for us if Angela continues to befriend her. Janine speaks very plainly what's on her mind and she refuses to conform to our ways despite our welcoming her into our home. You see now how Sister Theresa clings to her. It would only be a matter of time before others here and especially Angela follow suit. However, it would also do us more harm than good if we were to simply get rid of Janine. Not only would her sudden…'eviction' prompt suspicion and possibly even flight from Angela, but we chance the risk of the outside world learning of our secret dealings…and that will simply not do. Therefore we must sever the ties between the two of them post haste, and I'm counting on _you_ to make it so…"

The twins step aside as the fourth person in the room – who had been clinging to the shadows – stepped forth. She was a beautiful woman and she seemed pleasant enough really. Her long red hair was caught up into a ponytail and she had quite unusual colored eyes: violet to be exact…

"I will do everything in my power to ensure nothing ruins our Lord's homecoming, Brother Xavier," replied Moriah.

"Good. Now here is what I want you to do…"

Xavier fanned off the twins who bowed and promptly exited the room, leaving Xavier and Moriah to weave their dastardly plan in peace. "Now then," started Xavier. "This is what I think is the best way to separate Angela from Janine. The though crossed my mind to simply spread lies and propaganda but that wouldn't be enough. Angela, although having experienced how cruel and dishonest life can be, still tends to give people the benefit of the doubt. We therefore would have to make it appear that it is Janine herself who is not to be trusted, so much so that not even Angela would want to be friends with her."

"And your suggestion?"

"Twist the facts of any common knowledge about Janine's past... common knowledge which I received when I did her confession."

Moriah smiled wickedly.

Angela sat in on of the numerous pews in the church's downstairs chapel heavy in thought. The seventeen-year old often sought solitude to dwell on things, but it seemed that as of late she did so very often. She also had a tendency to retreat to the most unpopulated areas to meditate, so it didn't take long for Moriah to hunt her down. Moriah studied the young girl from afar and high up in one of the upper balconies of the cathedral, and when she felt that she was ready to strike, she disappeared and reappeared out of thin air several feet away from behind Angela.

"Little sister?" the dubious woman called.

_ "Hey, Moriah," smiled Angela. _

"Is everything ok?" asked Moriah, taking a seat. "You seem a bit blue."

_"Just been thinking about a lot of things that has happened recently, and about what lies ahead. Been also thinking a lot about Janine and Theresa."_

"I see…I've noticed that the three of you have been getting close lately."

_"Well, of course. We all had to sort of grow up well before we were ready to, and we all like and can relate to the same kind of things."_

"Yes. It is always nice to have someone close to you in age that you can become acquainted with. However, I think it only fair to warn you that you three should _only_ be acquaintances, and nothing more."

_Angela raised an eyebrow at this. "…Are you saying that I'm not to trust Janine or Theresa?"_

"I'm only saying that I have your best interests at heart. I'm not all that worried about Theresa – she's always been a sweet and well meaning girl. But Janine? I know that I said that I was trying to do the right thing, the Christian thing when I granted Janine shelter a few weeks back, and while I've personally never had any problems with her, she _has_ been at odds with quite a number of the other brothers and sisters."

_"…But she has told me…"_

"…About how she is always being accused and punished for things while the "guilty party" runs free? About how she always get the less desirable jobs around the church while others get the easier jobs or don't do anything at all? And let me guess, she's even told you about how someone used to douse her with cold water in order to wake her up some mornings?"

Angela lowered her eyes, the doubt slowly seeping into her. "I knew what it was that you were going to say, "continued Moriah. "Because I've heard it all before. It has also been brought to the congregation's attention about some of the things Janine was involved in before her coming to stay with us. Now normally, I don't allow someone's past to influence my dealings with them – I'm a firm believer in second chances. However…"

_ "What kind of things are we talking about here?"_

Moriah turned to look away as if she is embarrassed to say anything more, but she sensed the anxiety radiating from Angela, smiled very briefly to herself and then turned back to face the young girl.

"It seems that Janine engaged in drug use and larceny when she was out on the streets, and the reason for her being out on the streets was because she became pregnant. The truth about her condition came to light after she was caught cheating on her boyfriend and this was only revealed during a rather heated discussion with her boyfriend who sadly was under the impression that _he_ was the father. Then after she gave birth to her daughter, she immediately gave it up for adoption, and only when it was discovered that the child was deformed."

Angela looked absolutely hurt and sickened from the news. Moriah smiled to herself once again and decided to press on. "The look on your face tells me that Janine wasn't exactly forthcoming on these events…"

"I knew about the pregnancy…"stuttered Angela. "And I knew a little about the drugs. But stealing, sleeping around and the…truth about her giving up Gwen?"

"That is what worries me, Angela, because if she was dodgy about something like this, what would happen if something serious came about? This is why you must take care as to how close you get to her and on how much of what she says and does you should believe in. The brothers and sisters here are trying their best to keep her on the straight and narrow path – hence the few cases in which she's had a few more tasks to do around the church, or the restrictions that were placed on her. No one likes to be reprimanded, Angela, and truthfully, no one likes to do the reprimanding, but to do so is in the long run for the good of all those involved."

Moriah placed a hand on Angela's shoulder. "I must say though that once again, I'm rather impressed by your demeanor, little sister. Here it is that you've known someone for so short a timeframe, and yet you were so quick to put all your faith in her, so quick to overlook something in her that would've normally keep many others from even approaching her."

_"Yeah, though I don't know anymore if that's a good thing or bad. You see… before coming to stay here, I lived with my father, who was always a very…hot tempered person. For seven years I was constantly beaten, cursed out, and told I was stupid or that I was nothing or an accident – and every time it happened, I kept telling myself that I actually deserved what was happening to me, or that I have to still respect my dad and hold onto the hope that maybe things would get better…But then, as I got older, I started to think about my mother, and how she too used to try to reason for my dad…and how she ended up paying for it with her life. That is why I ran away. This is why I'm here now, and despite all what he put me through, no matter how much I sometimes wished that man would…would…"_

"… despite being the monster that he was, a small part of you still wants to love him…simply because he _is_your father."

Angela nodded glumly, her blue eyes brimming with tears.

"You really are something else, Angela," consoled Moriah. "Really. With your kind spirit and loving heart, you would make someone a good wife and maybe even a good mother someday."

_"I don't think there's anyone out there for me…"_

"Oh I don't know about that. You'd be quite surprised at who you may find."

_"Oh?"_

"Yes. That's actually the reason I came down to talk with you. It's almost the end of the year, little sister, and as you already know, in many of the world's religions, there are several days around this time that are considered holier than others. This is no exception here at the Faith Through Scath Christian Tabernacle and in exactly two few weeks time, the day most revered by our congregation will be upon us, and several of us were hoping that you would consider joining the ceremony."

"…Me?"

"Yes. I'm sure that by now you're aware of some of our beliefs, beliefs that may seem contradictory to what you were brought up to believe in, and the most primary of them being that our true happiness and salvation can only be brought through a being of infinite power – a deity named Scath."

"Yes. I've heard of the name the other day when I sat in to hear one of the discourses amongst the sisters here."

"So you know of how Scath was once considered a son of God, and how he was banished from both Heaven and Earth? About how he had longed to be able to experience true love and to have a family of his own, and paid the ultimate price for forsaking his place? It's so amazing, Angela, because even when he was plunged into a ghastly limbo-like state, Scath still reached out to mankind, and although history and religious texts have tried to blot him out of existence, several texts have survived the test of time, and they reveal some of the many good things Scath has done who those who followed him, of the many good things he promised his worshippers then and those of our time. We here want to show our Lord Scath our gratitude for all he aspires to do, by granting him the thing he wants most, and this is why we need your help. We have found the means to bring Scath back to our realm, but it can only come about through the assistance and the consent of a young woman, a young woman who is without a doubt clean, wholesome and untouched. This young woman would in turn have to consent to becoming Lord Scath's wife, and frankly, it would be such an honor to have a young lady with your fine qualities join us in this most revered of all celebrations and to take the sacred right hand side of Lord Scath."

Angela was rendered speechless for a moment. She then laughed softly and smiled brightly. "Wow. I'm….I'm really flattered that the others even want me to… Just…wow…"

"Well it's the truth. Don't forget that when we first met, there was something about you that got my attention. You had been through so much, and it would've been so easy for you to be bitter and hateful towards others. But yet…you somehow retained… a sense of hope, a sense of goodwill towards your fellow man. Such a person is always welcomed among us, and we've been waiting for someone like you for a long time."

"Well again like I said, I'm really flattered, Moriah, but it's something I have to think about, because there's also a lot in what you are asking of me."

"Of course, of course. Dwell on it, sleep on it, and be sure to let me know whatever you decide upon."

Angela nodded as Moriah patted her on the shoulder. Moriah then rose from _her seat and left Angela to dwell on what she had been told. She continued out of the chapel and was ascending up the stairs to the living quarters when she was stopped by Xavier. _

"Well…?"

"She hasn't agreed to anything…yet. But do not fear. The seeds of doubt that you've…supplied me with have been planted and are quickly taking root. It won't be long until we have her on our side."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"_Having been brought up a Catholic, Moriah's proposal had really caught me off guard. Interestingly enough, her proposal also aroused my interest. After having to endure all of the physical and emotional abuse from my father, I guess one could say that it had began to test my faith in God. Then after spending the several weeks out on the streets of Gotham and the weeks I've been with Moriah and her brothers and sisters, my faith in God steadily weakened. After all, hadn't the lack of intervention or even protection from such horrible acts proved that he did not care about me or any of us for that matter? Why not abandon him like he abandoned me? Why __not__ seek out what Scath had to offer me? _

_This type of thinking while to some degree understandable and even accepted by many in the world today, was at this given time not backed by sense but rather sensibility. After all, even if it did seem that God had forsaken me, what could I possibly have to gain from a god who I knew next to nothing about? In addition to that, could I really blame God for all of my problems? In any event, allowing such a mind frame to take a hold of me was the first mistake I made today, and sadly to say, it wouldn't be my last…"_

An hour or so after speaking with Angela, the petite brunette was making her way through the numerous hallways of the upper part of the church. Moriah's words from earlier were still fresh in her mind, and it wasn't simply the proposal she put out in front of her that was weighing her down…

"…_The truth about her condition came to light after she was caught cheating on her boyfriend and this was only revealed during a rather heated discussion with her boyfriend who sadly was under the impression that he was the father…"_

Angela pursed her lips. While she was only a child when it had occurred, she could vividly remember her mother's tears and rages whenever it was discovered that her father had once again been unfaithful to her. The man had numerous shortcomings – this much was certain and not even she could deny it – but the one thing that Angela's mother could not and would not in any way condone was how her husband often sought the company and the comfort of other women. So how could Janine do it to her 'beloved' Shymal, the man who allegedly was the only source of light to Janine's dark, lonesome life?

"…_Then after she gave birth to her daughter, she immediately gave it up for adoption, and only when it was discovered that the child was deformed..."_

Angela's brow furrowed deeply. She could recall the day when the doctors diagnosed that her baby brother Connor had galactosemia and that his condition was discovered too little too late and he died days after his birth. Had the rare and deadly illness been found sooner, Connor would most likely be alive today but not without having to live off a specialized diet and cope with possible learning disabilities, speech and even neurological impairments. Despite this, Angela remembered how her mother passionately proclaimed that it didn't matter if Connor was sickly or not, or whether he was handsome, plain or downright grotesque. He was _her _child, and had he lived, nothing would ever sway her from loving him as much as she loved Angela. Nothing could persuade her to do anything but provide the best for him. But Janine's daughter was 'deformed'. Whether it was simply in appearance or due to an underlying medical condition could not be determined, but it seemed more so that Janine rather than out of concern for her child's wellbeing gave her up simply because she wasn't 'normal'. This of course infuriated Angela, who was so sympathetic to Janine's numerous plights. Now she was left wondering just how many of those plights she actually brought upon herself…

"If I find either one of you two with Sebastian again, I will personally slit your throats!"

Angela stopped in her tracks at the sound of the threat. It almost sounded like Sister May from within the infirmary just a few yards away from her. But who was she screaming at? Ever the curious one, Angela cautiously crept up to the door…

_"_Honey, if you want him that badly, you can have him," snapped the all too familiar voice of Janine, which made Angela freeze again. "As a matter of fact, do us all a favor and just tell that slimeball to keep his grubby little hands away from us!"

"Believe you me, if I had my way, you and Theresa would've been out of here _ages_ ago. But because you're also buddy-buddy with Angela, I'll have to tolerate you…for the moment."

_Angela pondered at the meaning of her last statement, but just then, the door opened and the brunette and blonde who Angela had seen glancing at her from across the messhall back when she first came to the church exited. Angela jumped back in surprise, and May and Helena looked just as surprised to see her standing there. "_Oh…_Angie_," greeted May with a fake air of kindness. "Hi! What are you.."

"I'd just come from outside actually," fibbed Angela. "I, uh…needed to see the girls about…something."

"I see," replied May sourly. She then quickly perked up and smiled. "Well then, I'll leave you to it. _Au revior_!" And with that, May and Helena speedily headed down the hall while Angela peeked into the infirmary. Janine was leaning up against the far wall while Theresa was holding a washcloth up to her nose with one hand and pinching the bridge of her nose with the other.

_"_…Theresa?" asked a dumbfounded Angela. She hurriedly closed the door behind her and raced over to Theresa. "…It was May," answered a nasal Theresa. "She was out for blood. I don't know what would've happen if Janine or Helena hadn't stepped in…"

_"_Well what did you say that got her so upset?"

At this, Theresa looked up at Angela and Janine turns to her in disbelief.

_"_…_Excuse_ me?"

Realizing that she was now treading dangerous waters, Angela quickly tried to minimize the fallout.

_"_Well I only meant…" she stuttered.

_"_Why would you assume that Theresa just _had_ to have done or said something wrong to provoke May?"

Angela sighed exasperatedly and upon this, Janine scoffed and then laughed.

_"I see. I do not believe this. I…just cannot believe this!"_

_"__Well what did you expect, Janine? You haven't exactly been the most truthful of people, and you can't say that you've been a good influence on others either. I'm not condoning May's reaction, but perhaps Theresa said the wrong thing to her and nearly got her nose broken off because of it."_

_"What..the..hell? You busy sticking your own nose into something that you know nothing about!"_

_"I know __plenty."_

_"From who? The "brothers and sisters"? Do you honestly think that the others here actually have your best interests in mind? I wouldn't wish my worst enemy to cross paths with these lunatics. Xavier is a meddlesome and sadistic old bastard, and Sebastian is a disgusting octopus who tries to have his ways with all of the girls here. And Moriah? She…"_

_"STOP! Just stop, Janine! …I…I…don't believe you..."_

Janine stopped in midsentence, the anger just radiating from the two girls facing off. Theresa warily looked on as Angela chose this time to close the distance between her and Janine, her eyes cutting into her.

_"I don't believe you, Janine," she repeated. "Why should I believe anything you ever said to me – especially when you couldn't even tell me about why you ended up here in the first place? About what really happened back in Steel City? Answer me that."_

It was Janine's turn to exchange a glare._ "You of all people should know damn well that some things of the past should just be left in the past, be it because of regret or because of all the pain they have caused. But note this…__Angela…__ I have __never_lied or had any reason to lie to you about anything!"

_"Is that so…__'Mother, Dearest'?_ After all, I'd be embarrassed too if I didn't want to reveal about how I got knocked up by someone other than my boyfriend and then put the child up for adoption just because she came into this world just a little bit different than the rest of us."

Janine exploded. "_The only person that I confided to about what had happened to me back home would've been the person who heard my confession, and the mere fact that he revealed confidential information and then __twisted__ the facts of said information should tell you something about these people, Angela, these __people__ that you're willing to trust your life with! But you know what? Fine. Be as two-faced and insensitive and vicious as these bastards. I'm not staying in this, this 'holy place' any longer…!"_

_Janine stormed by a somewhat_ flabbergasted Angela, and Theresa slowly rose from her seat to leave as well. She then stopped by Angela, opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but simply shook her head and left.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"_It's easy to say that for the next two weeks, I was in a whirlwind of emotions. As she promised, Janine was gone by the time I returned to the dorm later that night, though I found it strange that she didn't even tell Theresa goodbye. I was to some extent relieved that Janine was gone, but at the same time I couldn't shake the look she gave me when I told her that I didn't believe her. It almost made me doubt that I stood by the other members of the church._

_In any case, I really didn't have much time to dwell on Janine. Shortly after our little blowout and Janine's exodus, I approached Moriah and the others and informed them that I would help with Scath's homecoming ceremony. There were many a day when I was devoting my time towards the ceremony: costume fitting, making the decorations, practicing the songs and dances for the ceremony. I found myself so busy that I seldom hung out with Theresa anymore – though I guess part of it was due to the argument I had with Janine. Then before you could blink, it was the night before the homecoming ceremony…"_

"So, you must be excited, Angela," beamed Ophelia, one of the sisters of the Church. "The big day is tomorrow night …"

"Yeah," smiled Angela as she and Ophelia finished the last of the dishes since it was their week to help out in the mess hall. "Excited and nervous. This is a life-changing event, Ophelia, and I'm a bit worried that I'm not cut out for this or that I'll mess something up."

"You shouldn't feel that way. Moriah is a good judge of character, and everyone agrees that you alone are the epitome of the perfect bride and the most deserving of our Lord. Rest assured that everything will work out in the end. You see how you were ridded of that unsavory girl for a roommate."

"Yeah, though I am surprised that Janine just left in the middle of the night without saying to word to anyone, not even to Theresa."

"Eh, go figure. Besides to be honest, I think that we're all better off without her around. Listen, it's getting close to curfew. We can finish up in here tomorrow. You have a good one, Angie."

"Ok, Ophelia. You too."

_The two young women exited the mess hall and part ways to their respective dorms. Angela continued along the familiar path to her room and was in a pretty decent mood, so much so that she even hummed to herself. As_ she neared one passageway, Angela could just make out the muffled sounds of a man and woman giggling and when she cautiously peeked down it, she was completely floored by what she saw next. There they were without the slightest care in the world, Sister May and Brother Sebastian in _very_ close proximity of each other. Before she could fully process what was happening, a hand came out to rest on Angela's shoulder, causing the girl to nearly jump out of her skin and cry out. Angela was suddenly jerked away from the scene and as she looked up, she could see that it was Theresa who had startled her and was now dragging her away. The older girl gestured for Angela to stay silent and the two walked some distance away to ensure that they are out of earshot.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," said Theresa in a hushed voice. "But better it was me than someone else that found you spy on them."

Angela was stunned. "You _knew _about this?"

"Angie, _everyone _knows about them. They are lovers."

"But a woman of the cloth and her abbot? As if there isn't enough scandal amongst world religion…" The gears suddenly began to turn in Angela's head.

"Wait a minute…is that why May was so….do you mean then that what Janine said back then about …?"

Angela's voice had trailed off but Theresa confirmed her suspicions by nodding and Angela's eyes widen.

"Oh my god…"

"This is why May disliked me and Janine so much. Had Brother Sebastian shown you interest, you would've earned her hate too."

"I'm so sorry I implied that you guys were throwing yourselves onto Sebastian…"

"There are a lot of things you should be sorry for," replied Theresa in a somewhat cold tone. "And there are more things that you should be cautious for. I can't put my finger on it, but I think you are in danger, Angela."

"Danger?"

"Yes. You see how the others try to conceal Brother Sebastian and May? They knew that if you saw the two of them that you would know omething was wrong. I think there are other bad things happening here too. For instance, one day I was in the library. I was near the back so no one knew I was there. I then watched in silence as Moriah and Ophelia rushed in and began to rip pages and parts clear out of books, the books in regards to prophecy and ancient rituals…"

"But those are the books that _I'm _responsible for…"

"I know. Clearly, there is something in those books that they don't want you finding out about by mistake."

"You don't think it has anything to do with the upcoming ceremony," asked an uneasy Angela. "…Do you?"

Theresa sighed. "It might, and this ceremony that they've been talking about so much also concerns me. You see in all the years I've been here, I can remember just one time that they celebrated it and there was a young girl that I was friends with then. Her name was Marcy and she was about the same age then as you are now. I was only a little girl, so I could not attend, but I do remember that she got the same kind of attention you are getting. The day after the ceremony, I went looking for Marcy so that I can learn about what had happened, but the brothers and sisters told me that Marcy was no longer our sister and had left the church. She was deemed 'not a worthy vessel', but I always felt there was more to the story…"

Angela stood processing everything Theresa had told her. The more she thought about things, the more alarmed she became. It did seem a bit strange now how the others fawned over this supposed homecoming ceremony, and come to think of it, it was also pretty strange how much of the ceremony's details were kept hidden from Angela despite her being a so-called crucial participant. What was the ceremony's true purpose and why did they feel the need to hide things from her?

"Come on," coaxed Angela, taking Theresa by the arm. "We got to look into this."

"Wait, what?"

"The library. There has to be something that the others missed when they ransacked the library. Something that can explain what's really going on here."

"But it's so close to curfew…"

"Well this can't wait, Teri. Besides you can stand guard outside while I look around."

"And if Xavier or Landon and Logan stop me?"

"I don't know. Tell them that you saw me come in and were waiting for me to come out. Pretend that you weren't aware of the time. If it comes to it, stall as long as you can so that I can find something!"

The two stopped in front of the library and Theresa nodded. Angela gave her a thumbs-up and after insuring that no one was in the library, crept inside. Angela then raced throughout the library to make doubly sure that no one was around and without a moment to lose, she headed towards the library section that held all of the books of prophecy and ancient rituals. She then began her frantic search, rapidly but cautiously combing through the numerous books in front of her to see if somehow by the grace of God that Moriah and Ophelia were not successful in destroying all traces about the truth behind the homecoming ceremony. Surprisingly and only several minutes afterwards, Angela does stumble upon an interesting passage…

"On the eve of Bruma, the blockade is at its weakest. The time has come to open the gateway and for Scath to make claim to what is rightfully His?"

Angela marked the page and headed over to the reference section of the library. Grabbing one of the dictionaries, she speedily searched for the word 'Bruma' and discovered that it was actually the Latin name for the winter solstice. This struck a nerve with Angela who surveyed the calendar that hung on the opposite wall.

"The winter solstice is tomorrow night…the same as the Homecoming Ceremony…"

Angela then hurried back to the book where she had marked and searched its index for any other references to Bruma. And what she found rattled her to her very core…

"_There are numerous times throughout the seasons where loyal and devout followers may pay tribute to the lords of the darkness, but for those who worship Scath, one of the Princes of the First Hierarchy, certain dates take more precedence than others. For instance during the season of rebirth, there is Beltane Eve and Beltane, days on which…carnal relations of all sorts are favored upon as they promote fertility for fellow worshippers of Scath. In the summer, there is the Grand Climax and the days that lead up to it where humans are…abducted…and then dismembered and or sacrificed to quench the wrathful thirst of Scath. In the autumn, the season of Lord Scath's birth, there are many other sacrifices and dismemberments, all which are culminated by the events of All Hallow's Eve and Halloween. However…the most important of all these days is the night of Bruma, the Longest Night, and the time believed in which the ancient forces of light used to banish Lord Scath from his rightful realm are weakened significantly. In addition to the revelries to celebrate this day - a young virgin girl is promised to …to…"_

Angela couldn't even bring herself to finish the sentence. She tore out of the library and raced down the hall and back to her dorm, leaving a confused Theresa in her wake. She was still in a state of disbelief when Theresa finally followed her back into the room.

"Angela! What is wrong?"

"Everything!" she cried out, seconds from mass hysteria. "You were right. You and Janine were both right! Something bad is going to happen to me tomorrow night! Scath is not whom the others have made him out to be, and the others here cannot be trusted."

"Then you must flee!"

Angela started to take long, deep breaths in an effort to settle her nerves. Once she felt calm enough, she turned back to Theresa.

"Well what about you, Teri? You think it's wise for you to stay amongst these people?"

Theresa tensed up. It was common knowledge that she was already on May's bad side and she really didn't want to see if she was also crazy enough to follow through on her threat. Angela however was thinking about another grim matter. What would have happened if she never sought refuge at the 'church'? Would they have used Theresa like they did Marcy for their sinister observance instead? Angela shuddered to think.

"We _both _have to get out of here." stressed Angela. "Neither one of us can afford to stay here any longer." Angela then drew Theresa closer, almost as if she could no longer trust the very walls to conceal their conversation.

"Now listen, after you leave here tonight, be cautious but quick about getting together your things. It will be risky to leave at night, since the twins and Xavier will most likely be up and about patrolling, but we'll have to chance it. We'll meet up downstairs in the chapel. If anyone is about, hide yourself in one of the confessionals until I get there and then we run like hell and do not look back."

Theresa nodded. "I will be there shortly. Be careful, Angie."

"You too, Teri."

Theresa nodded again and she hurried out of the room. Angela in the meantime made haste in gathering up her belongings. She thought about changing out of her gown and back into her street clothes but thought against it reasoning that the less time she spent getting ready, the more time she and Teri would have to get away.

Getting away however was proving to be quite an ordeal for Angela. She kept checking the hallways to see if anyone was about and strangely enough, it seemed like the twins were actually keeping post down the hall from her and were taking shifts in monitoring the hall where her room was. Paranoia within time started to creep in…

'_Why are they keeping post than patrolling the building? Can they somehow know what we're up to? Is Teri having the same problem over on her end?'_

It went without saying that Angela had a relatively sleepless night. She had remained camped out by her dormitory door the entire night and regularly checked for a moment of opportunity to arise. 'Patience is a virtue' thought the teen, and if she waited long enough, surely Landon or Logan would at some point be gone long enough for her to make a break for it. So she waited…And waited…And waited some more, but still no change and hours later, when the morning sun was surely rising, Angela yawned and stretched to rid herself of the pains of sleeping on a cold stone floor. She wondered if Theresa ever made it down to the rendezvous point and debated whether to check to see if she was still in her dorm. Making sure to keep her book bag down to her side where it would less likely be spotted, Angela cautiously peered out into the hallway (which now of course was as empty as a ghost town) and quietly made her way towards Theresa's room. She didn't even knock on the door as she assumed that only Theresa would be in the room, so she was a little surprised when she found Ophelia, Theresa's roommate making up her bed.

"Oh!" smiled Angela, hiding the bag behind her back and doing her best to hide the fatigue, discomfort and skepticism that racked every part of her body. "Morning, Ophelia. I thought you would've been up and about already."

"It's ok. But if you were looking for Theresa, she's already gone."

Angela briefly lost her composure and her face melted from a warm smile to a frightened disposition.

"'Gone'?"

"That's right. Brother Sebastian and several others had business in Neon Heights and they invited her to come along. The airport shuttle for them has already come and gone."

She then smiled briefly as she passed Angela and exited the room. Angela's eyes widened as all sorts of worse-case scenarios and grim outcomes started to run through her head. Knowing that time was of the essence, Angela started to race throughout the corridors and towards the stairs leading to the lower levels of the building. However, just as her luck would have it, she also nearly collided into Moriah who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Whoa! Why are you off to in such a hurry, little si…"

"What's going on here, Moriah?" asked Angela callously. Moriah was noticeably taken back by the lack of warmth in both her voice and appearance but quickly got her bearings back together. "Going on, little sister?" she asked as if she knew nothing. Angela however was in no mood for Moriah's mind games, mind games that she was certain she had been playing from the very beginning.

"Yes. What is going on around here? What has happened to Theresa…and better yet, Janine?"

"Janine?"

Angela huffed. "Yes,Janine. The chick with the brown hair, green eyes, about this tall, and a bad attitude…you know, Janine?"

"Did you forget little sister? Janine chose to leave our care because she was unhappy here and we chose not to persuade her otherwise because it was for the best."

"How convenient," sneered Angela. "How very convenient that Janine just up and vanished without so much as a peep without telling her friends or that Theresa just had to go on a last-minute business trip with Sebastian and the others clear across the country…" Angela then walked up so that she was almost on top of Moriah who eyeballed her warily. Apparently she wasn't used to people breaking free of the almost hypnotic hold she wielded over them.

"So let me rephrase my question, _sister," _said Angela. "What are you hiding from me?"

Moriah's expression went from baffled to one of annoyance in two seconds flat. "Angela," she started in an unusually grim tone of voice. "I'm warning you. It is best that you forget all about Theresa and Janine. Just concentrate on the task at hand and everything will be fine."

Just as eerily as Moriah had appeared in the hallway, Logan and Landon suddenly appeared behind Angela. "I'm going have to ask that you retire to your room now, Angela," continued Moriah who then handed Angela a slip of paper. "In the meantime study this, and by this evening, you should have it well in mind. Logan? Landon?"

Angela looked on worriedly as the twins stepped forward. Moriah's frown slowly turned into a devious grin as she watched Angela, who tried to outmaneuver and evade the twins but to no avail. She was quickly subdued and Angela struggled violently as she was forcibly carried down the hall and back towards her room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"_Something is wrong. Something is definitely, definitely wrong. They're onto us. They have to be onto us. Why else would they try and separate me from the girls? Hopefully Theresa is ok and can get away and get a fresh start somewhere else. But what about Janine? It was easy to believe that she had left because of me – something which now I am ashamed of – but I also seriously doubt now that she left here of her own free will…or even if she left here at all. I was such a fool for not trusting her and I fear that allowing even the tiniest amount of doubt about her enter my mind has cost us all. I still have to get out of here before the ceremony starts, but I can't leave until I figure out just what truly happened to Janine. Then, I'm gonna run like it's the end of the world…"_

Angela sat on her bed in her dorm room. She had changed into her street clothes and was clutching her backpack, anxiously plotting her next move. She had been confined to her quarters several hours earlier by Moriah, and the clock was ticking. Night would fall soon being that it was the first day of winter, and if the cult members got a hold of her…

Angela shuddered at the thought. _'It is impossible'_, thought Angela_. 'I have come and been through too much to have it all end this way. There must be a way out…'_ She then rose from her bed and placed her ear upon the door. After been shoved into her room by Landon and Logan, the twins had quickly left her to stew in solitude until the ceremony. Once she was positive that she was still by herself, Angela began rummaging through her pockets until she found what she was looking for: namely a hairpin which had come up while she was gathering her things to escape.

'_This building looks as if is two days older than dirt. Let's hope that it also means that this lock isn't sophisticated enough to hold up against you…'_

Angela inserted the hairpin into the lock's mechanism and began to fiddle with the pins. After several minutes with no luck, Angela tried other methods, such as bending and reshaping the hairpin, and looking around the room for something to pry or pop the lock off …anything to get the door open. But, as it seemed, the poor girl had run into an awful unlucky streak and nothing seemed to be working…

"Damn Moriah! Damn her and all those raving lunatics who have a part in all this!"

Angela angrily pounded the wall near the door, which inadvertently caused something from across the room to creak. Angela raised an eyebrow at this and when she turned to look, the wall where the armoire sat was sliding open.

"What?"

Angela continued to watch in disbelief as the wall fully extended and revealed a hidden passageway. "You've got to be kidding me," voiced Angela to no one in particular. She then warily approached the entranceway to the hidden passage. Inside the tunnel was nearly pitch black save for the two torches that were affixed to the wall across from her. The tunnel also had stairs that led both upstairs and downstairs and certainly to places of unknown origin. It was then when Angela had another thought.

'_This__ is how they knew we were looking to escape. There must be hundreds of these passageways throughout the building. Moriah or one her cronies could literally be anywhere where we were and eavesdrop onto our conversations…They could also kidnap a person if they wanted to and slip here and there without any detection…'_

The idea of venturing into the passageway was unsettling for Angela, but she wasn't fond of her other options either. She reached out for one of the torches and slowly but surely began to descend down the stairs…

Elsewhere in the 'Church' of Scath, deep within an ominous windowless room, the cult members gathered for the coming of Scath. Although Angela had reason to doubt the truthfulness of Ophelia's revelation, Brother Sebastian and several others (namely his mother, his beau May, her friend Helena and Theresa) had flown over to the West Coast for business matters. This in turn left only eight members to partake in the ceremony. Xavier for one stood mixing ingredients and toiling over a boiling cauldron, while Moriah stood in front of the ancient manuscript Xavier had been studying earlier. Those that were also present were Ophelia, the twins, an older sister named Winter, an honorary member named Bethany and a younger man named Rhys.

"Brothers and sisters," began Moriah. "The moment that we've all been waiting for will soon be upon us. All of our years of preparations shall finally pay off. All those in opposition to our goal have been eradicated, the incantation and the runes are now prepared for our Lord's return, and the key to bringing everything together has been secured within our walls. When the sun sets tonight, it shall be done. Trigon shall finally return to Earth."

There was a round of applause and Moriah turned to the twins. "Brothers Logan and Landon. If you please, go fetch our lord's sacrifice…"

Landon and Logan nodded and in the blink of an eye, vanished from view.

Back in the tunnel, Angela is steadily making her way towards what she hoped was the exit. She was pretty positive that she was on the right track for only moments earlier she had found a familiar looking pink book bag laying askew on the stairs…

'_Janine…'_

Certain that Janine was still alive and somewhere within the depths of the building, Angela pressed on, the goal of finding her one, true friend and seeking justice against the sadistic cult leading her on…

"This is…"

"…not good."

Back in Angela and Janine's room, Landon and Logan had returned to fetch Angela, and upon finding the room empty, the pair exchanged worried looks.

"She must've found the hidden doorway here," stated Landon. "We must follow her."

"Follow her where?" snapped Logan. "She could be anyway by now. We have to go back and let the others know."

"I'm not too sure I like that idea. Xavier and Moriah will be livid."

"You think they'll be livid now? They'll be even madder if the girl escapes. Neither of us possesses the skills to hone in on a person's location, brother. Therefore, we go back to the one person who can, and that unfortunately is Moriah. However, the quicker we inform her of Angela's disappearance, the sooner she can be reprehended and Moriah may show us clemency."

Landon seemed to agree with his brother's reasoning skills, and the two set off to alert the others.

Back in the tunnel, Angela tensed up as she approached the literal light at the end of the tunnel. As she exited the staircase, Angela found three additional passageways, each one label by a sign written in some unknown language.

"Great, now what?" she murmured to herself, not knowing which pathway to take. She shifted back and forth from one doorway to another, and ultimately she settled on the leftmost doorway. Down the corridor Angela went, her eyes falling upon numerous statues, cryptic runes and drawings and such that signified the dark god that her former friends devoted their lives to. As she progressed, Angela soon realized that the corridor she is in housed numerous prison cells and torture devices. Even more surprising what she founded inside one of the cells.

"Janine?"

Janine was in dire straits by the time Angela found her. She had multiple cuts and bruises all over her body and she was tied up Strappado style and left to hang from the ceiling by her wrists. She also had what appeared to be a weight of some sort tied around her ankles.

"Oh my god! Janine?"

Angela whimpered, for in all honesty it looked as if Janine had already met her maker. Then ever so slowly, Janine's eyes opened and shifted over to the door.

"Angie…" she croaked. It seemed clear that in addition to being subjected to torture, Janine was also being deprived of nourishment.

"Jan…dear God. I had hoped that you were miles from here. Who did this to you?"

Janine breathed hoarsely. "May," she droned. Angela's face blanched.

"Ok, ok," she said, more so to calm herself down than to acknowledge her friend's statement. "Don't worry, Jan. I'm going to get you out of there. There's some serious trouble about, and we're getting out of there. Just hold on a little longer, please, Jan…"

Back in the mysterious room, the other congregation members waited for the twins' return. Seconds later, Landon and Logan magically reappeared and the room went abuzz for it was apparent that the two were empty-handed.

"Where's Angela?" growled Moriah. The twins cringed at her menacing tone of voice.

"She's…escaped, Sister Moriah," the twins remarked – or rather mumbled.

"What?" she shrieked. "How did you let her escape?"

The twins lowered their head in defeat. "Forget it," she hissed. "Go! Get moving! Rhys, go with them and spread out. She couldn't have gotten far..."

Back in the corridor, Angela had begrudgingly left Janine's side to search the keys to her cell. She passed what looked to be merely a decorative orb but in truth it is a sort of crystal ball. Back in the mysterious room, Ophelia's eyes widen.

"Sister Moriah!"

"I know," she frowned. "I saw her, and clearly she saw that brat Janine too." Moriah then began to hurry out of the room.

"Make sure that everything is ready when we get back," she called out over her shoulder. "There can be no more further delays…"

"Jackpot…"

Angela stood in front of a massive ring of keys which hung up on the wall. She reached out for them when something moved out of the corner of her eye. Nervously glanced down the hall and to the right of her, Rhys is staring her down, his pale blue eyes almost cutting into her.

"Oh sugar honey iced tea!"

Angela snatched the keys and bolted for it. She gunned down the corridor but skidded to a stop when she saw that the back to Janine's cell was blocked off by the twins. Angela then tore down a side corridor and ran for dear life, the twins and Rhys closing in the gap. Angela continued her sprint, hoping that she could somehow lose the men long enough to double back for Janine, but suddenly crashes into a translucent wall that magically materializes in front of her. Angela groaned in pain and glanced up to find Moriah phasing in from the wall.

"Apparently when you want something done right, you got to do it yourself. Bring her to the ceremonial chamber. It's almost time."

Still a little dazed from crashing into the force field, Angela struggled to get to her feet and then to escape the men's grasps. Rhys took her by the arms and the twins by her legs and the party began to head back to the others.

"Let me go, you freaks! I want no part of this! Let me go!"

"Stop your squirming, Angela," called out Moriah, who walked behind the twins. "Resistance is futile. You made a commitment and you are going to follow through with it even if we have to tie you up like a wild animal. No one, not even _you_ is going to spoil this night."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"_Things just seemed to keep going from bad to worse. As the cult members carried me off, my thoughts drifted back to Janine who could possibly die at any minute from the brutal punishment she had endured. I could also not shake the fact that due to the carelessness on my part, I would most likely be joining Janine - and my mother and brother too for that fact - in the hereafter. The only consolation I had was first noticed when we entered the room where the ceremony was being held. 'Brother' Sebastian, and 'Sisters' May, Helena, and Winter were absent in attendance, so Ophelia was actually telling the truth about Teri's being made to accompany them west. That to me meant that at least she was alive and well. Then again, unless she sought to run away from them while in Neon Heights, they could quickly change. These people were just not human, and to call them or their god 'monsters' would be a gross understatement…"_

The cult member keenly waited as Angela was tied down to an altar and Moriah returned to the bookstand to read from the ancient tome that Xavier had been studying so diligently over the past few weeks. Once Angela was secured, the twins and Rhys returned to their positions alongside the others. The three men then picked up their musical instruments and began to play, while Ophelia and Bethany started to dance and Rhys, Winter and Xavier chanted softly in some unknown tongue. Moriah took a deep breath and as she recited her incantation, poured some of the cauldron's contents to draw a magical crest on the floor …

"_Bruma, the eve of Earth's Longest Night_

_Ancient spell of binding light dispel_

_And commence our Lord's enemies' plight_

_Open thy gates of Hell_

_We beckon the return of Trigon our divinity_

_Let him find favor with this young femme_

_Let his authority spread throughout all eternity_

_And let his bride produce his greatest gem_

_The gem shall be born of evil's fire_

_The gem shall be his portal_

_He comes to claim, he comes to sire_

_The end of all things mortal!"_

The crest that had been drawn onto the ground began to ominously glow and amidst many pulsing lights and bursts of flame, a vortex opened up from the earth and a red and black striped hand slowly began to emerge from below. The cult members went into a frenzied uproar and danced with glee, while Angela like any sane person in such a situation, desperately struggled with her restraints to escape the madness. "He has returned!" shrieked Moriah fanatically as the others continued to rejoice. Then suddenly, Rhys cried out as he fell to the floor. The others stopped and looked on in confusion as Trigon jerked his hand back as if in pain, the crackling energy surrounding the vortex clearly preventing him from moving any further out of the vortex.

"Rhys!" cried out Ophelia and she ran over to his side, but the young man was unresponsive.

"My lord?" inquired Moriah. "What have you slain our brother and your most humble servant?"

"Youfoolish mortals!" thundered Trigon. "So caught up in all of your greed and scheming. If you paid nearly as much attention to the writings you've consulted on the Mark of Scath as you had in retrieving a noble sacrifice, you would have realized that the spell you recited is worthless! Such carelessness must be punished."

"But sire…"

"Silence, thoughtless creatures! No mortal man has the power to dispel this sort of crest of banishment. The spell specially states that only a being of otherworldly descent can do so. The only successful thing you have been able to do is bring me an honorable vessel. But as for you, Talia, and the rest your brethren? You've outlived your usefulness!"

Trigon then grinned wickedly at the looks of terror now etched upon his followers face, and Moriah, or Talia grew paler than a corpse. "Say hello to my father for me, will you?" chuckled Trigon.

Overwhelmed by fear, Angela began to black out and in the background, the piercing cries of those who betrayed her slowly faded to nothing as several of them burst into flames, began to bleed out of every orifice or just simply dropped dead. When she came to, Angela found herself in a strange place that was shrouded in mystery. A heavy mist hung over the plain and there were no distinguishing landmarks or buildings, not one thing. It was also impossible to tell where the ground ended and the sky began. Everything was all grayscale and dark. Positive that she ought to keep moving, Angela got up and began to walk, and when she began to get frantic, she started to run. After a few terrifying minutes, Angela soon realized that she was trapped. As she stopped for a moment to try and get her bearings, Angela suddenly felt someone's warm breath along the back of her neck and screamed as she bolted away, knowing that whoever or _whatever_ it was had no intentions of making nice with her…

Trigon watched amusingly as the teenaged girl tried to run away from him. She soon stumbled and fell to the 'floor', and Trigon slowly made his way over towards her, smiling devilishly the whole time. "You're in luck, child," he declared. "While I no longer sought the need for my followers on Earth, your life will be spared today. All in exchange for something else, something else that only _you_ can give me..."

Angela looked at Trigon uneasily, knowing that no good could possibly come from this.

"And what exactly is that?"

Trigon stood over Angela's fallen form and smiled, his golden eyes roving over her body and taking in every intimate detail about her. He then reached forth and tugged on her clothes, which for a being of his power, ripped clean off of her. Angela immediately went to cover herself as best as she could and her eyes grew as large as saucers as Trigon uttered two simple yet ominous words…

"An heir…"

Angela took off running, leaving Trigon to shake his head and laugh. Every so often, Angela changed directions, silently praying that she would somehow find an exit. "It's pointless to run, Angela," taunted Trigon from afar. "There's nowhere to go. We're both trapped in an alternate dimension. The portal that my followers had managed to conjure up will eventually reopen, and I _am_ going to allow you to return to Earth. But as I already mentioned, you are also my trump card that's going to get me out of this purgatory."

Angela shrieked as Trigon suddenly reappeared in front of her and she nervously stepped back.

"You can't fight it, my little fallen angel. This is the way things were always meant to be." Trigon then grabbed her by the wrist, bringing the frightened girl down to her knees. He then grabbed her other arm and forced her onto her back.

"You _are_ going to be my vessel, and for the next few hours, your ass is mine!"

**Numbness gives in to exasperation …**

Angela stood motionless in the communal shower. After she was allowed to return to Earth, she wasted no time hurrying to the showers and for what felt like an eternity, Angela had been doing her best to scrub and wash away all of the filth she swore was all over her body. She almost wished that she could even pop open her very head, take out her brain and scrub that clean as well, to wipe away all of the horrid memories and feelings that plagued her. Angela was also unbelievably sore, due in part from her body being marked with scratches from Trigon's claws and teeth and partly due to the brutal assault. It was enough to make her reminisce to the countless times her own father would beat the living crap out of her, and how the abuse had gotten so bad that she ran away from home in the first place. Oh the very irony that the place she had sought out for her safe haven would quickly turn into Tartarus itself! Angela wanted to laugh at this quirk of fate, to laugh to keep from crying or screaming. Actually, she _wished _thatshe could cry or scream, since it would have shown that she had something still inside of her, but nothing found the will to bubble forth. She was numb both inside and out, and this exasperated her to no ends…

**Exasperation gives in to vengeance…**

_November 24th, 1988_

_My dear Gwendolynn:_

_So by now I'm sure you don't know what to think of me anymore. Was I stupid or sensible? Cowardly or courageous? Dishonest or decent? Frankly I think I'm all the above and frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Sorry, I just had to say it, but it's true. You already know that I was the type of person to take no shit from anything and if there was something I wanted, I went for it. Obviously I didn't always come out on top, but I guess that's a part of life. You never really know how something will turn out unless you go for it, even when it seems it's retarded to do so. Again, look at me: tomboy, punker, former drug addict and pickpocket. Now add this to my resume: mother, lover, confidante and friend. See how a person can be more than one thing, Kiddo? That's why I chose to give you up for adoption. Yes, you were different – those eyes, hair and complexion were a dead giveaway of that – but when I first saw you and held you in my arms, I knew you would grow up to be special, and I wanted you to have a better start in life than I had. I haven't really talked to God in quite some time now, but I hope someone loving takes you in if they haven't already and builds you up in life rather than tears you down. I hope that despite the way you look that you'll also be able to make friends and maybe even fall in love. Granted, things didn't work out between me and your dad, especially since he chose to believe his double-crossing friend who tried to cuckold him, but when things were good, they were good. I've also in most recent times have had the pleasure of meeting two girls who I could really call my friends…_

Angela, who now sat in her darkened dorm room, stiffened at the sight of the penned words on a handwritten note she found with Janine's belongings after she stumbled across her bag in the hidden stairwell. While she only known Angela for less than a month, Janine really _did_ view her as a friend. '_This of could now explained'_ – reasoned Angela – '_what she seemed so hurt by my coldness after her the confrontation with May and Helena'._ It was also rather obvious now that while the spunky brunette did sometimes come off as abrasive and aggressive to others, she was also a really decent person who like Angela had left a troubled home to find a place to better herself and to help others. Now the young woman was dead. Senselessly beaten and tortured, deprived of food and water for days on end, and left for dead. Angela's thoughts then shifted to Teri. Although she had escaped the onslaught of Trigon, she was still amongst the company of the lecherous Sebastian, his homicidal lover and two other 'church members' that could not be trusted. Would her body turn up one day under suspicious circumstances? Or worse still, would Sebastian and the others corrupt the gentle-hearted woman until she was just as ruthless and immoral as they were? It would take a lot of time (or perhaps the rest of her life) for Angela to forget all of the pain she had been through, but she would never forgive those that wronged her. She also would never forgive herself or the members of the Scath church for putting her friends in harms way. For stealing Teri away, for taking Janine's life, for depriving Gwendolynn of the chance to ever meet her birth mother and for robbing Angela of her innocence, Trigon's follower would pay. They would pay dearly…

**Vengeance gives in to animosity and rage… **

But what could she do? She was only a teenaged girl – a physically and emotional scarred teenaged girl with no special powers and no special connections. Moriah and the others that had stayed behind for the ceremony clearly possessed otherworldly powers and skills, so it stood to reason that Sebastian and his remaining brood also had such powers. When they returned from their trip to the West Coast, they would probably go right back to their usual heinous crimes. Or, maybe even without Xavier and Moriah's hold over him and the church, the overly ambitious Sebastian would rule unchecked and unchallenged and God only knows what that would result in for Gotham. Even if Angela ran away and never came back to Gotham City, Sebastian and the others would likely haunt and hunt her down everywhere she went, bringing chaos and destruction along for the ride. No, something _had_ to be done about them and it had to be done now before they had the chance to rethink and regroup. A monkey wrench had to be thrown into the gears of their work. Any bridges leading to and from to this horrible place just had to be bu…

Angela's eyes fell upon the armoire that sat across the room. She hurried over to it and flung open the doors, revealing an old kerosene lamp and a jar of kerosene oil. While the old church relied mostly on fireplaces and candles for lighting (only the offices on the lower levels of the building and part of the kitchen had electricity) there were also kerosene lamps stored in each room in the case of emergencies. Angela's tired face then twisted into an uncharacteristically wicked smirk.

'_Revenge may be best served cold, but things are about to go up in flames…'_


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_ "There is still no word as to the events that led to the fire that all but destroyed the Faith Through Scath Christian Tabernacle church earlier this morning, although both authorities and local fire investigators have determined that arson was the cause of the deadly destruction. Forensic scientists specialists on site have also uncovered the remains of nine people who are believed to be parishioners of the church, two of which have been identified as Moriah 'Talia' Hart, a former theology and psychology student turned cultist, and …local news respondent Bethany Snow…"_

_"Holy cow…"_

_Theresa glanced up from the book she was reading to look at the news broadcast that had Helena – her current roommate so transfixed. Her eyes widened at the sight of the destroyed and hardly recognizable Church of Scath and her heart began to beat faster. __ 'But there were only nine people inside the Church upon our departure,' __thought Theresa sadly.__ 'So Angela…is dead? She was too sweet of a person, even when she was misled by Moriah's words, to deserve such a grisly end…' _

_Theresa was so dismayed by the news that she hadn't sensed that she and Helena were no longer by themselves. As the newscast from Gotham City droned on, May and Sebastian hurriedly entered from the neighboring suite room. _

_"Did you just…" started May. "Yeah, we saw," replied Helena, her hazel eyes still glued to the television. Just then, Garnet exited the hotel room's bathroom dressed in her nightgown and bathrobe. _

_"Saw what?" she inquired. May gestured towards the television and the older woman's jaw dropped. "Wha…wh…who…" sputtered Garnet. "Who is responsible for this?"_

_"Lady Garnet, please do not get excited," cooed May. "Think of your health."_

_"Someone has deliberately burned our church __**to the ground**__. Our fellow brothers and sisters are __**dead**__. All of our lives' work is likely gone __**forever**__. How can one __not __get excited over that?"_

_"Mother, please…"_

_Everyone, including Theresa turned to Sebastian, who had been silent since the news first broke. "May is right," he continued. "Please don't get yourself so worked up. This tragedy although a harsh blow to us doesn't spell the end."_

_Garnet looked on in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand. How can you be so optimistic?"_

_"Well for one thing the fire likely destroyed any of our records we had on location. They may be able to identify the other bodies, but they won't be able to trace anything back to us."_

_"But how, Brother Sebastian?" asked Helena nervously. "They said that they uncovered only __nine __bodies. That means that someone got out…"_

_Sebastian grew troubled at the sound of Helena's revelation while May and Theresa both grew flushed. "Wait…" said Theresa hesitantly. "Are you saying that …Janine…never left that night?"_

_Sebastian's eyes darted over to Helena, who lowered her head, and May, who flashed a defiant look his way. Garnet also appeared to be the least bit bothered by the news. "It was for the best, Theresa," she mused. "Her presence was causing a conflict between my son and his love, and she had seen and heard too much of our dealings in the church. Had we allowed her to leave on her own free will – and therefore allow her a chance to approach the authorities - we would all be locked up in Arkham by now."_

_"But she did not deserve to die!" shrieked Theresa. "That's where you're wrong," snapped May. "That stupid cokehead was trying to take my man. I wasn't going to let her behavior go unpunished. Besides how do you know that she __wasn't__ the one that got away?"_

_"Because everyone knows how much you hated her and how you openly threatened her the night she disappeared!" screamed Theresa, the normally reserved girl speaking clearly out of pent-up anger and courage she never knew she possessed. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was already dead by your hands before Angela got the chance to torch the place!"_

_"You're just lucky I didn't incl…."_

_"Enough!"_

_The two brunettes stopped arguing immediately and Sebastian glared at his beau. "I will not watch you two tear out each other's throats when there are other pressing matters at hand. Yes, our headquarters was destroyed. Yes, our brethren were murdered. Yes, an…innocent woman was needlessly killed, and yes, it appears that there is a survivor who got away. However, we are like the mythological Phoenix. We will rise from what should have spelled our end. Thankfully, over the years, I had sought to relocate the majority of our assets to different locations across the States, such as here in Neon Heights, so at least we're not penniless. This fresh start will also allow me the chance to seek out the path I've wanted to follow for so long, and I trust that I have everyone's backing on this?"_

_Helena nodded and May answered in agreement and without hesitation. Garnet and Theresa however were undecided. "I…I don't know," started Garnet. "All my life I was brought up believing that our purpose in life was to ensure Trigon's return above all else. At the same time however, all of Trigon's followers are to honor and assist whoever is the head of the church…and that would be you."_

_"I understand how you feel, Mother, but hear me out when I say that I really think it is in everyone's best interests to abandon what was once our family's calling. _Our family and brothers and sisters have has been trying to bring Trigon back since the beginning of time and for what? Is it really sensible to devote our lives to a being who could kill us on a whim? Who's to say that Trigon would even have rewarded us for freeing him from his prison? We have been granted such immense power already, Mother. Actually I'm sure that there are _many_ people that were blessed or cursed with special powers. Some of it is through acquired knowledge, some of us inherited it, and some were bestowed it through accident. In any case, we shouldbe using these powers to our benefit, not Trigon's. We only get one shot in this so-called life, and I think that we should be using this time and our resources to mold favorable followers into our likeness and in time, use _them_ to help us take over the world so that you and I can live out the remainder of our days in splendid glory."

Garnet's face grew heavy with thought and everyone else turned to face Theresa, who was now really stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Now then, Theresa," said Sebastian. "I pose the question to you once more. Do I have everyone's backing on this?"

_Two months came and went in almost a blink of an eye. As Gotham City prepared itself for Valentine's Day, there was one resident who was not feeling the holiday spirit. Truth be told, she was absolutely sick to her stomach. Young Angela Roth –the person in question - currently stood hunched over a nearby trash bin dispelling what was her only meal of the day. Granted, the teenager took her chances by ordering from food trucks, hot dog carts and greasy spoons that didn't warrant a 5 star review, but lately it seemed to Angela that she could hardly keep __anything __down. Then again, with all of the stress she had recently endured, it only seemed logical why she could hardly stomach anything. After all, living as a drifter with no real home or no family or friends to turn to was mentally and physically draining for an adult. How much so then for a seventeen-year old?_

_'God, I feel disgusting,' __thought Angela as she hobbled away from the garbage can__. 'Never thought there be a day when I would kill for something as simple as a shower. A nice hot shower and access to the bare necessities. Men have no idea what it's like to be cold, hungry and feeling gross because of a monthly gift from Mother Natu…'_

_The words fell from Angela's lips, and she stopped so suddenly that several people who had been walking behind her grumbled and shouted as they narrowly missed colliding into her and quickly changed paths. The complaints and gestures went unnoticed however as Angela's brain began to kick into high gear over something that she failed to take note of earlier…_

_'When __was__ the last time I had my period?'_

_Angela's stomach lurched and rumbled, but she found the willpower to keep it together. Now was not the time to be bent over the nearest gutter or bin Technicolor-yawning. A more terrifying idea was forming in her mind and Angela needed to know if her suspicions were justified. A.S.A.P. Angela then began to walk briskly throughout the streets of Gotham until she came upon a 24-hour pharmacy and entered. The door chimed jingled softly, but being that the store was practically empty, it seemed deafening. Angela _nervously and aimlessly begins to wander up and down the aisles and she eventually stopped in front of the family planning section. She eyed the merchandise cautiously and after a moment of hesitation, grabbed three pregnancy tests from the shelves. Angela then stealthily but quickly made her way towards the rear pharmacy counter, where there is one lone pharmacist manning the desk.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked politely. Angela blushed and lowered her head.

"…Is there a restroom that I can use?" she pleaded sheepishly. The woman's eyes quickly dropped down to the items in Angela's (who looked positively scared out of her wits) possession. "Home life too bad for you to test there?" she asked, reaching for a ring of keys hanging behind her.

"Something like that," murmured Angela. She then lifted her head at the sound of keys settling onto the counter and glanced up at the pharmacist who was gesturing to a co-worker that she was leaving her post. "Come," she said in a hushed voice. "I'm not really supposed to do this, but I'll let you into the employee restroom."

Angela hurried behind the woman who led her towards the rear of the store and opened the restroom door. "Make sure to slam-lock it close when you're done."

Angela mouthed her gratitude while the pharmacist nodded and left her to her task. Minutes later, there were two tests sitting on the edge of the sink, and Angela impatiently tapped her foot as she stared at the third test in her hand. She eyeballed the watch on her wrist again and after taking a deep breath, she studied the test in hand and inhaled deeply. The worst thing she ever imagined seeing: a red plus sign was clearly evident on the test and the two that preceded it. Angela then exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"Dear God, help me…"


End file.
